Apparatus for submerged intestinal lavage



July 7, 1931.

A. BROSCH APPARATUS FOR SUBMERGED INTESTINAL LAVAGE Filed Dec. 18; 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 7, 1931.

A. BROSCH APPARATUS FOR SUBMERGED INTESTINAL LAVAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fiied Dec. 18, 1928 4772271 Brosc X.

Attorney 7 Patented July 7, 1931 1 PATENT orrics ANTON BROSCH, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA APPARATUS SUBMER-GED INTES'EINAL LAVAGE Application filed December 1s, 1923, Serial in). 326,752, and. in Germany December 24, 1927.

This invention relates to apparatus for submerged intestinal lavage and it has for its object to provide apparatus for the purpose specified adapted to be fixed in position in a few moments in or on any of the usual types of domestic bath, and to be removable with equal case, so that the bath can again be put immediately to its ordinary use.

Apparatus according to this invention 1 consists essentially of three elastic straps, cords, spiral springs or the like, fixed in a suitable manner on the edges of the bath and stretched across it, the one nearest to the foot of the bath serving to retain a draining pipe fitting into the waste of the bath, whilst the other two elastic cords carry the springing apparatus proper, which is held in a watertight manner against the patients body by the tension of the elasticcords due to his weight as he lets himself sink into the bath.

It has been found, that when the patient in the bath lifts his pelvis or lower abdomen, bearing with his back against the head of the bath, the hindmost elastic cord remains taut, but the tension of the forward one, securing the laving bowl, relaxes to such an extent that the lavage water is liable to leak out into the bath.

It is therefore advisable, to use in substitution for the forward elastic cord supporting the laying bowl a non-elasticthong, chain, or the like which can be kept permanently taut by attaching a suitable weight. The thong or the like can have one of its ends secured to the edge of the bath in such a way as to be displaceable longitudinally along the bath, the other end running free over the 0 opposite edge of the bath and carrying the requisite weight, orfelse a weight may be attached to both ends of the cord, in which case the latter runs freely over bath edges of the bath and the two weights will serve to maintain the required tension.

The hindmost elastic supporting cord for the laving bowl can also be dispensed with, the supporting ring for the laving bowl being in that case connected by an elastic link to a hook-shaped shoe or :other' appliance which hooksdirect on to the edge of the bath at its head. i T

The drawings show one'example of the subject matter of the invention. Figs. 1 and 2 show one form of execution of an appliance attached to a bath, being respectively a side view with the bath in longitudinal section, and a partial view from above. Figs. 3 and 6 show respectively a plan view and a front view (partially in section) of two variations in the supporting device for the laving bowl; Fig. 7 shows details, Figs. 8 and 9 two modified forms of the draining device, Figs. 10 and 11 the lavage apparatus proper in two different forms, Fig. 12 a frame for iminersion in the bath where the latter is completely bordered with tiles, and Fig. 13, the footrest.

In Figs. 1 and 2, two elastic rubber thongs, straps, or spiral springs 3, 3 or the like are shown placed across the bath and secured to the edges 1 of the bath by means of hookshaped shoes 2 nearthe head of the bath, and readily removable at will; there is a third elastic cord 3 at the foot of the bath. It is advisable that the cords or springs 3, 3,, 3 should have a protective covering of rubber or some elastic metal sheathingso that in the event of the breaking of a spring or rubher thong it shall not hurt the patient as it 39 snaps back. The two forward cords 3, 3,, carry the supporting appliance for the laving apparatus or intestinal syringe. This apparatus consists of a centralpart a which may be either a ring, frame or loop, preferably of 35 some resilient material, intowhich the actual syringing apparatus 5 is inserted. The supporting ring 4 is connected on one side to two elastic thongs or springs also sheathed in rubber the opposite ends of which are secured to a hook-shaped shoe 8 which is adapted to hook on to the central elastic cord 3, placed across the bath. The reason why the tension springs 7 are divided into two is to make room for the patients privy parts and to obviate uncomfortable pressure. The supporting ring 4 is held by a flexible metal band 9 or girdle orsuch like which will adjust itself in close contact to the patients body, and this is secured by a hook 10 to justed.

the cross-cord 3 placed nearest to the head of the bath. The patient sits upon the laving bowl and hears it down by his weight on to the bottom of the bath. This increases the tension of the supporting cords, so that the laving bowl is held in a watertight manner against the patients seat.

As previously stated at the outset, it may he thought preferable, in order to secure a better watertight fit, to have the supporting cords arranged in a di'fierent manner, as shown in Figs. 8, l and 5, 6. Instead of the forward elastic supporting cord 3 the middleone of the three shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a non-elastic thong or chain or su'chlike 3 may be used. This is shown in Figs. 3- and l with one end securedto a shoe 2 that can he slid longitudinally along the edge of the bath, its other end being; freely suspended over the opposite edge of the bath and: carrylngaweight of 3 to 5 kgs. and designed to keep the cord 3 permanently taut. By means of the shoe 8, the ring. l supporting the laving bowl 5 is hooked onto this cord.v

The hindmost elastic supporting cord 3 is in this case-not secured tothe lateral edges of the bath, but to the curved head of tie bathby means of shoes 2.

In Figs. 5- and: 6 the non-elastic supporting cord, chain 5 orsuch'like carries at each: end a weight 11 of 3 to 5 The cord is; laid loosely over the two opposite edges of; the bath, or else runs over two shoes 21. placed on the edges of the bath, and capable of being slid into the desired position and carrying forks to gulde the cord, the latter being kept taut by means of the weights. The;

hindmost cord 3 shown in Figs. 1 and 2' is in th s of two parts, viz. a hollow framework 5, of

rigid material, to: fit the'patients-seat, provided with a catheter tube 12 to admit the lavage water and carrying the movable rectal nozzle 13. The lower part of the framework has a padded edge 14 projecting outwards over which the second part of the laying apparatus, a thick soft rubber cup 15;. with an inward projecting ring beading 16 is ad-- The laving apparatus is made in two parts for the greater ease both: of construction and cleaning. The rubber? cup 1?) ends in a tube'17i which connects with the draining appliance. Alternativery the frame work 5 case omitted and the: flexible metal band 9, girdle, or suchlike connected to thesupporting ring of the, laving'bowl is'hooked' to the-top edge of the bath by means of a with its projecting edge 14' can be- 65 arranged to fit into an aperture fashioned after the manner of a buttonhole in a rubber tube of suitable width.

As the faeces will float on or near the top of the lavage water and will therefore glide along the upper part of the walls of the la-ving bowl, accumulations of faeces are liable to form on account of the corners and recesses within the-lavage bowl and the further circumstance that the inlet pipe crosses the draining passage, and the laving bowl may get choked up in consequence.

This objection is overcome by the form of laving bowl shown in Fig: 11. This consists of a hollow piece 5 made of a suitable rigid, semi-rigid or resilient material, on the front of which is the draining connection 18 placed close up to the watertight fitting lip 5. so that the draining passageqhas a smooth up:- per surface free, from cornersor niches and: the stream: of' fzeces is able to flow freely along it without obstruction or hindrance- The'connection 194501! the inlet pipe 12: forms the continuation of the bottom; lining of the laving; bowl 5?, the inlet pipe itself lying near thehottom of the vessel sorthat it doesnot cross the path of the draining stream.v The pipe 12 is adjustable by sliding within, theeonnection 19.

The-laying; bowl 5 in its lower and rear ward part has anouter surface mainly spherieal: in shape, and: as it is this part that comes into contact with the bottom of the bath it follows that. the: actual positiom inwhich it fests on-thebottom:- of the bath can be Varied indefinitely, which also'helps to obviate stoppage through accumulations of faeces. AL tube leading to the draining appliance, is SlsKl over the drain connection 18..

The'draining appliance (Figs: 1', Sand 9) consists of a pipe 20 rising above the edges of the bath, carrying at the top a rotatable cap 2% with a forked shoe 22, to'receive the cord 3 secured to the edges of the bath, which has previously been mentioned. The lower extremity of the pipe 20 fits loosely into the bathwaste24, a packing washer 23 preferably made of'rubber sponge being interposed, and the cord 3 holds the pipe down to-make a watertight fit. lateral connection 25 into which a glass elbow 2 6is fitted, and on to this is slid the tubel'? which carries the contents of the patients,

bowel away'from the laving' bowl. Fig. 8 show-s that the drain pipe 20 has orifices-27 in its lower part, and above the undermost row of these a coarse-meshed sieve 28 is placed across. The perforated part. of the pipe 20' is surrounded. by a hollow cylinder 29 closed at the top, the lower edge of'this bear-- ingagainst thewasher 28-as it lies on'the bottom of the bath. The sieve 28 retains the bigger lumpsof fences carried out with the lavage water. I ter brtea-ksthese up and. carries them, together The pipe 20'has a The subsequent how of wa with the smaller particles of fzeces above the sieve through the aperture 27 into the hollow cylinder 29 and thence below the sieve through the lower orifices 27 into the waste pipe.

In Fig. 9 the pipe 20 is shown with an inner pipe 20 of smaller diameter with orifices 27 and a cross-sieve 28; this works in the same way as just described.

if the lavage operation has to be carried out for instance in a bath that is tiled in, then the elastic cords 3, 3 3 to be stretched across the bath must be secured to the lengthwise members of a frame (Fig. 12) inserted in the bath. This consists of a headpiece 30 resting on the head of the bath carrying two rods 31 disposed lengthwise of the bath, having downwardly directed elbows and ending in a stirrup-shaped footpiece 32 which comes to rest on the bottom of the bath. The elastic cords are secured to the longitudinal members 31 of the frame. In place of the footpiece 32 the frame can be made with a second head, so that the whole appliance rests on the edges of the bath. It is also possible for the cords to be attached to a frame or framework so made that its longitudinal parts rest outside the lateral edges of the bath altogether.

A further part of the appliance according to this invention consists of a ladderlike de vice 33 designed to serve as footrest (Figs. 1 and 13) and made of wood or other suitable vmaterial, the side members being extended in the direction of the head of the bath well beyond the rungs toa length of about half the total length of the ladder, i. e. so that the rungs are all within that half of the ladder that points to the foot of the bath. The purpose of this is to overcome the tendency which the ladder would otherwise have to slide up at the foot of the bath when the patient bears with his feet against the rungs. By thus lengthening the side members of the device the fulcrum of the ladder, when the patient exerts pressure against it with his feet, is displaced so far from the point of pressure that the ladder is held down.

Claims:

1. An appliance for intestinal lavage under water that can be fitted to anordinary bath comprising three elastic cords adapted to be fixed in a suitable manner on the edges of the bath and stretched thereacross, said cords being sheathed in flexible metal tubes, and one of them being adapted to be placed near the foot of the bath to hold down a drain pipe fitting loosely into the waste of the bath, and the other two cords adapted to support the laving bowl and hold it watertight against the seat of the patient due to the tension created by his weight as he sinks into the bath.

A device according to claim 1, in which the supporting device for the laving bowl consists of a ring to surround the latter, said ring being hooked onone side, by means of two extensible straps placed at a sufficient width apart to accommodate the privy parts of the patient without pressure,to the appropriate cord while the ring, is also secured to the other cord.

3; A device according to claim 1, in which the elastic cords are attached totlongitudinal members of a frame associated with the bath, from which they can be easily removed.

4. A device according to claim 1, in which the drain pipe has its lower part surrounded by a hollow cylinder closed at the top and perforated with a number of apertures of varying heights, between which a coarsemeshed cross-sieve is inserted across the pipe.

5. A device according to claim 1, in which the drain pipe has a smaller pipe with perforations and a flat sieve inserted therewithin and standing clear of its inner surface. 7

6. An appliance for intestinal lavage under water adapted to be fitted to an ordinary bath, comprising a laving bowl of which the discharge connection placed at the forward end and in immediate contact with the forward part of the watertight lip of the laving bowl, so that its inner surface is smooth and unbroken, while the inlet pipe is inserted in the lower part of the laving bowl and lies along the bottom thereof.

7. A device according to claim 6, in which the lower and rearward part of the laving bowl presents a spherical-shaped outer surface without projections.

8. A device according to claim 1, in which a ladder is made of a rigid material lying on A.

the bottom of the bath and is provided to serve as a rest for the feet of the patient, its uprights being extended towards the head of the bath so far beyond the rungs that approximately only the half of the ladder pointing towards the foot of the bath carries any rungs.

9. An appliance for intestinal lavage I under water that can be fitted to an ordinary bath, comprising three cords adapted to be fixed in asuitable manner on the edges of the bath and stretched thereacross, said cords being sheathed in flexible metal tubes, and one of them being adapted to be placed near the foot of the bath to hold down a drain pipe fitting loosely into the 'waste'of the bath, and the other two cords adapted to support the laving bowl and hold it watertight against the seat of the patient due to the tension created by his weight as he sinks into thebath, the central cord being of a nonelastic material which has one end secured to the edge of the bath by a longitudinally displaceable shoe and the other end hanging free over the opposite edge of the bath and carrying a weight which maintains it constantly taut.

10. An appliance for intestinal lavage under: water that can be fitted to an ordinary bath, comprising three cords adapted'to be fiXed in a suitable manner on the edges of the bath and stretched thereacross, said cords being sheathed in flexible metal tubes, and one of them being adapted to be placed near the foot of the bath to hold down a drain pipe fitting loosely into the waste of the bath, and the other two cords adapted tosupport the laving bowl and hold it'watertight against the seat of the patient due to the tension 19 created by his weight as he sinks into'the bath, the central cord being of a non-elastic material which has a weight at each end so that the central cord can be loosely thrown over both edges of the bath.

11. A deviceaccording to claim 1, in which the supporting device for the laving bowl consists of a ring to surround the latter, said ring being hooked on one side by means of two extensible straps placed at a sufficient width apart to accommodate the privy parts of the patient without pressure to the appropriate cord, while the ring is also secured to the head of the bath by belt.

12. An appliance for intestinal lavage 9 under water adapted to be fitted to an ordinary bath, comprising a pipe extending above the bath and fitted loosely into the waste of the bath to carry off the lavage water, a packing washer of rubber sponge interposed between the waste and the pipe, and a rotatable cap at its upper extremity provided with a fork to accommodate a holding-down cord and having a lateral connection for the excreta-tube.

55 13. An appliance for intestinal lavage under water adapted to be fitted to an ordinary bath, comprising a laving bowl consisting of a framework made of a rigid substance and carrying a laving nozzle, having its upper surface madeto fit the seat of the patient and its lower edge projecting outwardly, and a rubber hood connected to the eX- c-reta-tube.

14:. An appliance for intestinal lavage under water adapted to be fitted to an ordinary bath, comprising a laving bowl consisting of a framework of a rigid substance and carrying a laving nozzle, having its upper surface made to fit the seat of the patient and its lower edge projecting outwardly, and a rubber hood connected to a rubber excretatube with a slit in the form-of a buttonhole being arranged to fit over the projecting edge. Y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

DR. ANTON BROSCH. 

